Thirty-seven percent of public university students in Massachusetts experience food insecurity, according to a recent report by the Hope Center for College, Community and Justice, and the MA Department of Higher Education. This stark reality, combined with the opportunity at the federal and state level to tackle food access as a basic need on campus, led to the filing of comprehensive and visionary legislation titled, “An Act establishing the Massachusetts Hunger-Free Campus Initiative.”
Wednesday mornings mean food at QCC… and lots of it. That’s when Bonnie Coleman,Terry Vecchio, and the amazing Facilities staff head over to the Worcester County Food Bank to pick up (literally) 2000 pounds of food. Week after week they show up and have one hour to load all 2000 pounds onto a conveyor belt, weigh it and load the van. Once the van is full, they bring their catch back to campus to get it ready for students in need.
If you or someone you know is in need this holiday season, please remember the QCC Food Pantry is available to students, faculty and staff. If you have used their confidential services before, then you may or may not already know that they have moved to Room B63A. This location is near the revolving doors in the basement of the Administration Building on the main campus in Worcester.
A couple of weeks ago, we asked you to help us growl back at hunger on our campuses. We had two short weeks to reach a fundraising goal of $10,000 to stock the shelves, fill the fridge and help feed students who cannot afford to put food on the table. Today, the pantry is consistently feeding
[Pictured Above: PTK student Ashley Forhan, food pantry manager]
The USDA defines food insecurity as a state in which “consistent access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources at times during the year.” Other terms for food insecurity are “struggling to avoid hunger,” “hungry, or at risk of hunger,” and “hungry, or faced by the threat of hunger.”
According to an April 2018 survey*, 42% of community college students had experienced food